Nice Work if You Can Get It

I'm probably going to the Bethlehem Area School Board meeting tonight to see them hand a fat raise to Superintendent Joseph Lewis. According to The Morning Call's story Sunday, he'll get a 12 percent hike that will bring his salary to $160,000, an increase of more than $17,000.

In fact, the district has five administrators making more than $100,000 a year, and two more making about $99,000 a year. I think the custodians are driving Cadillacs.

I don't mind seeing the best teachers well compensated, although I think health benefits for teachers and all public employees should be comparable to those in the public sector -- and they aren't. But it rubs me the wrong way to see how bloated the administrative payrolls are for many districts.

It will be interesting to see how Bethlehem board members justify such a large increase, assuming they bother.